The Magic Of Melodies
by CUtopia
Summary: Violinist!AU - Actually, Frank is not a fan of classical music, but he still accompanies his mother to a concert. He will be glad that he did, for he sees a special person there.


For hillstar - I missed out on December Oneshot Exchange – I am so sorry! I hope you like this, even though it comes far too late!

Entry for the _Chocolate Frog Card Club_

(Silver) Alice Longbottom; **Challenge:** Write about Alice Longbottom.

Entry for _Music History_ at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

 **Option 2** **:** Write a story that includes one of the instruments above – Violin

Entry for the _Bad Movie Tuesday Challenge/Competition_

Glen or Glenda: (animal) puppy

Entry for the _Gringotts Prompt Bank_

AU Prompts

Musician!AU

Muggle Occupations

Musician

Marketer

Various Prompts: Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog

(action) helping the homeless

(action) speaking to your crush the first time

(action) spark at first sight

(action) recognising someone

(action) awkward introduction

(location) Park

Autumn/Fall Vocabulary

(month) November

(drink) cider

Crayola Colours

Cornflower

Peach

All Colour Prompts

Bronze

Chocolate

Cream

Crimson

Family and Friends Vocabulary

Home

Single

Son

Weather Words

Cloudy

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Sleet

Single Words: Descriptors

 _Said_

Asked

Questioned

Remarked

Replied

Shouted

 _Laughed_

Chuckled

 _Run_

Raced

Rushed

 _Saw_

Spotted

Stared at

Gazed at

 _Pretty_

Beautiful

Lovely

Glamorous

Attractive

Elegant

 _Good_

Pleasant

Delightful

Wonderful

Thanks a lot to Dina, who beta-ed this for me! :)

(2910 Words)

Violinist!AU

* * *

 **The Magic Of Melodies**

Frank Longbottom had never really been a friend of classical music – he was more the type of man who listened to classic rock and Irish folk. However, once a year, his mother still dragged him to the winter concert at the Royal Opera House, and he never protested, knowing how much she liked to spend time with her only son.

Working as a marketer, he didn't have as much time for her as he would have wished, as he always had some important project to work on. Therefore, he sat through the two hours of classical music, holding her hand and feeling grateful for this quality time. Little did he know, as he sat down in the crimson coloured chair and admired the beautiful concert hall, that this evening would trigger a change in his life.

His mother was once again talking about how much she disliked that he was still single and that she wished he would finally find a woman to settle down with. Frank knew how much his mother wanted grandchildren, but he was yet to meet the right woman. All his previous girlfriends had not been material for the whole 'Until death parts us' thingy. Also, he rather enjoyed being single at the moment – he'd just bought a puppy, a great way to stay occupied and distract his mind after hours of hard work.

Frank was glad that his mother was forced to stop talking as the lights dimmed and the heavy curtain was lifted, revealing the orchestra on the stage. Deafening applause filled the big room as the conductor walked onto the stage with a microphone, welcoming the audience and announcing a musical guest. Frank hadn't really been paying attention, as his thoughts had wandered to his latest project, but as the woman walked onto the stage, he suddenly was in the here and now.

Even from his seat high above the stage, he could see that she was attractive. Long, blonde hair flowed over her shoulders in curls, gleaming slightly bronze in the light of the lamps. A soft smile lit her features as she bowed shortly and shook the conductor's hand. She was wearing a white dress that reached her knees; cornflower blue ornamental lace covered the white and wrapped around her slim shoulders. Her feet were bare, moving over the stage as if she was floating.

Her delicate fingers were curled around the neck of her maple violin almost lovingly, and she only touched it very gently as she lifted it into the playing position, her bow hovering only inches away from the strings.

Frank had no idea what was happening with him; he suddenly shivered in anticipation and his skin was tingling. Something about her made him feel entranced – maybe it was the small, concentrated smile she wore seconds before playing the first notes, or the elegant way she moved, never hastily, but deliberate, as if she was used to the glamorous surrounding. Or maybe it was her sheer beauty – her small frame, her slim, but well-proportioned curves, her face...

When her bow touched the strings for the first time, pleasant shivers ran down his spine. From the first note, she seemed to _live_ the music she played. Every single tone was full of emotion, and she made him feel along – sadness, drama, desperation, innocence... His hands gripped the program, which told him that she was playing Bach's Chaconne, a little bit tighter as he stared at her, unable to take his eyes off her.

While she played, she moved her whole body along, only intensifying her expressionist style; toes gliding over the wood of the stage, upper body leaning backwards and forwards, knees bending and stretching. Her eyes were closed; her fingers were blindly jumping over the fingerboard of the violin, touching the strings just in the right places. From the highest to the lowest, every single tone was perfect, every bow movement precise, and she never failed to connect her technique with the emotions of the music.

She seemed to be completely lost in the music, it was as if the audience didn't exist, and Frank found himself drifting off as well, the vibratos and harmonics pulling him into a world that consisted only of delightful melodies and dreamy smiles.

When the piece came to an end, it was as if someone had woken him harshly from a wonderful dream; he wished she wouldn't stop playing. He could have listened to her for an eternity.

She only opened her eyes after a long moment of silence, blinking into the light as she put her violin down, slowly, like a sleepwalker who regained consciousness.

Frank was one of the last people to start clapping, as he had to shake off a certain dizziness at first, but he was one of the first ones to rise from his seat for a standing ovation. His hands were shaking and his eyes were filled with tears – he was only glad that nobody could see it.

A nearly modest smile sneaked its way onto the woman's face as she bowed, looking slightly out of breath. After shaking hands with the conductor, she left the stage, waving happily before disappearing. The orchestra started to play Vivaldi's Winter, but Frank found himself unable to concentrate on the music – his thoughts always drifted off to the beautiful woman, and he wished he could hear her play one more time.

OoO

Nearly a week passed in which Frank had trouble to focus on anything else than the memory of the woman and her violin. If he closed her eyes, he could still see her in front of him and he even dreamed of her, playing only for him, enchanting him with her music and her smile.

It even started to affect his work life, though not in such negative ways as the consummation of too much coffee to stay awake after an exhausting night of dreaming. He suddenly had new ideas for his project, and it coincidentally involved music and the shape of a violin. His boss had been impressed, and that meant something – the man was hard to surprise.

Thanks to his good work, he could call it a day one Friday afternoon way earlier than normal. Upon arriving at home, his puppy, Baileys, greeted him excitedly, as if he knew exactly that Frank was planning to take him for an extended walk around the park. The puppy already had his favourite ball in his muzzle and was staring up at Frank with wide eyes.

Laughing lightly, Frank grabbed a sandwich from his fridge and hurried to eat it before he attached the lead on Baileys' collar and led him outside. There was a big park just across the street, and he knew Baileys would love to play fetch until sunset – he normally came home a little too late to be able to play with his mate for more than half an hour.

For November, it was already freezing, and Frank pulled on his gloves as he glared at the cloudy sky, feeling like the grey mass was affecting his mood a little too much. What would he give for a little bit of sunshine...

As Baileys and he reached the big dog meadow, he took the puppy's ball and released the lead before throwing it. He watched with a smile as Baileys raced after the ball, his ears flying in the airstream. Frank was too focussed on Baileys to register anything around him – the young dog had the habit of being taken over by his own curiosity and always went to investigate things he found interesting. His owner wasn't too happy about it, as it often meant that he had to pull Baileys out of some bushes into which he'd chased a squirrel or another small animal.

Speaking of which – he'd only been distracted for a short second by a jogger, but somehow Baileys had once again managed to escape. Turning around in concern, he looked for the damn troublemaker when he already heard his unmistakable bark. Frank spotted Baileys only a few feet away, and his eyes widened in surprise.

There, in front of an open violin case, stood the woman from the concert, laughing about the way Baileys sniffed suspiciously at the case before barking at her again. She was kneeling down in front of Baileys and smiled at the puppy, reaching out without fear and caressed his back, chuckling: "And who are you, you cute little thing?"

Frank found himself glued to the spot for a moment, staring at her; she looked so different in her cream-coloured coat, her blonde hair coming out from under a peach wool beanie in a long braid. However, it was unmistakably her – he thought he would have recognised her in any situation.

Then, he suddenly realised that he should be doing something – after all, he was trying to teach his dog some manners. Rushing over to where Baileys and the woman stood, he shouted: "Baileys! Sit! Behave, you little troublemaker!"

He hurried to put the lead onto Baileys' collar and gently pulled him away, feeling how his face suddenly became warmer. She was gazing at him, her chocolate brown eyes full with warmth and kindness and it only increased his nervousness as he decided that it was time to say something.

"I... I'm so sorry, he hasn't learned how to behave yet... I hope he didn't scare you!"

Frank hated how much he stuttered while speaking; normally, he didn't have such problems, but she... even when she didn't play, she seemed to put a spell on him.

"Oh, don't worry... he's more cute than intimidating," she winked at him and stood up, adjusting her grip on her violin and bow now that she had both hands free again. Frank nodded, feeling glad that she was acting so relaxed, and his blush intensified as she looked at him as if she was expecting something. It took an embarrassingly long moment for him to realise what she wanted.

"Uh... sorry, my name is Frank. Frank Longbottom. Uh... I saw your concert last week."

He hadn't planned to blurt this out immediately, but he found that he'd somehow lost control over his tongue. Frank was sure that she would give him an odd look, maybe even think that he was some fanatic fan. However, to his surprise, she only smiled wider, offered him her hand and replied: "Alice. Alice McLaggen."

"Hi."

"Hi."

They shook hands, lingering a little bit longer than necessary while they looked each other into the eyes. Frank's heart was skipping a beat, and his skin tingled upon her touch.

"So, Frank. Who is this little guy?" Alice asked as Baileys barked at them, demanding attention. For a moment, he felt outrightly disappointed that she let go of his hand, but at least his head was clearing a bit and he had an idea what to talk to her about.

"His name is Baileys, and he likes to play," Frank explained with a smirk and looked down at the puppy with affection. "He can be naughty, but I can't imagine being without him."

Alice knelt down to pet Baileys once again, and the puppy looked so pleased that Frank could have been jealous. He somehow had the desire to spend some time alone with her, to get to know her... An idea crossed his mind, and he gathered all his courage, questioning: "Hey, uh... I would like to make up for this. There's a nice little pub just five minutes from here, how about I treat you to some fish and chips and a drink?"

His hands were sweating and the moment she took to think about his suggestion seemed endless; he just hoped that her rejection wouldn't be too harsh. She indeed looked a little bit unsure, but he was still surprised when she answered.

"Listen, I... I would really like to. But I need to stay here for a bit longer. I'm gathering money for the homeless in the area, and I planned to play a little bit longer."

"Oh... I understand, I apologise, I didn't mean to..." Frank began, but Alice gently touched his arm and looked at him with a warm expression, saying: "How about I play another piece and then you can invite me?"

Frank's face lit up immediately and he nodded, sitting down on the bench right next to Alice, telling Baileys to sit. Her lovely smile made his heart jump, just as the thought of hearing her play again. Alice lifted her violin and adjusted it against her thick scarf so she could comfortably use the chinrest. Lifting her bow, she winked at Baileys and remarked: "Listen, this one's only for you. Paganini's Caprice 24."

As soon as she started to play, Frank was entranced again, and it was even more intense than at her concert. This time, she was looking at him from time to time before she closed her eyes again or gazed down at her fingers, which seemed to be unaffected by the frost. Warm shudders ran down his back, building a contrast to the fog that he could see rising over the hill behind her. He felt special; she was playing only for him, and his little wish had come true.

OoO

About half an hour later, they sat in the pub that was in the house is flat was in; while Frank had brought Baileys upstairs, Alice had ordered fish and chips and some warm apple cider for them. As they finished eating, they were sitting there, sharing a piece of apple pie, making some small talk while listening to the folk band that was playing. Sleet was pattering against the windows and they could hear the wind howling, but inside the pub, it was warm and cozy.

Frank found that Alice was a great conversationalist; as the evening progressed, they discussed music and books over a Kilkenny and he enjoyed the way she mixed passionate explanations with humorous remarks. She was laughing a lot, her joy making him forget that it was November, a dark and cold month – Alice seemed to make everything a little bit brighter.

He was astonished when she told him that she was a rather famous concert violinist, and she chuckled when he admitted that he was surprised that she was still so down to earth. After all, she was travelling around the world, playing in metropoles he could only dream of visiting and was well-known in the scene of classical music. But still she was standing in the park of the area she'd grown up in, gathering money for the homeless and behaved like a normal person.

They also briefly talked about Frank's job, and then about amusing events that had happened in their lives; at some point, they started holding hands over the table, a simple gesture that showed Frank that at least some of his feelings were being returned.

It got later and later, but none of them felt tired and Frank found himself wishing that the evening would never end – it was just too nice to spend time with Alice. In her company, everything just seemed... right. As if he'd found the piece of him that he'd missed all the time; the thing he'd searched in his past girlfriends in vain.

It was nearly one o'clock when they left the pub, Alice carrying her violin case on her back. The sleet rain had stopped, and the street was slightly slippery; their breaths were coming out as fog as they stood in front of the house, unsure how to say goodbye. For a moment, Frank asked himself if he should offer her to stay at his place for the night, so she wouldn't have to walk home in the cold. However, he refrained from this, fearing that she could misinterpret his intentions.

"So, uh... this was a nice evening," he said instead, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat before pulling them out again.

"Yes, thank you," Alice smiled in agreement, their gazes locked, and Frank felt nervous as a question popped into his mind, begging to be asked.

"Would you have dinner with me next Friday?"

His heart was nearly jumping out of his chest, but luckily, he didn't have to wait too long for her reply. The widest smile he'd seen from her all day was making her beautiful eyes gleam as she whispered: "Yes, of course. I would love to."  
"Great," Frank breathed in excitement. "Let's meet here at six, I'll pick a restaurant until then."

Leaning forward, he intended to give her a kiss onto the cheek, but to his utter surprise, she turned her head on purpose. Their lips met in a short, but sweet kiss and after breaking apart, they hugged a little bit longer than necessary.

Frank remained standing in front of the house until Alice had turned the corner, ignoring the ice blocks that once had been his feet. He couldn't quite believe that everything that had happened today was true, but every single evidence told him it definitely was. With a spring in his step, he walked up the stairs to his flat, wanting the time to go by faster so it wouldn't be so long until he saw Alice again.


End file.
